Hotel Bergwirt - Vienna, Austria     

This family run hotel is located in a residential neighborhood adjacent to the uppermost northeast segment of the Schoenbrun Palace Gardens grounds (as if facing the palace). It is easily accessible by a combination of subway with a bus connection. Do not attempt to walk this from the subway the first time as it is a much longer distance (3 verrry long blocks!) than it appears and you will be walking seriously uphill. The hotel has a modest restaurant frequented by locals. This is its best quality. The breakfast that comes with the room is buffet style, but very extensive and generous -- as much coffee as you want, bakery rolls, hot and cold cereal, fruit, juice. Very impressive. Dinner has a simple menu but the food is delicious. Prices are very reasonable. There also is wireless internet, unbelievably slow and frequently crashing. Telephone calls must be made through the switchboard, which is problematic because the desk is not manned after 7:00 p.m. on a regular basis until 6:30 a.m. It appears that well behaved student and religious groups frequent the hotel. This is NOT for the business traveler. It also is NOT recommended for the tourist, unless there is nowhere else to stay in the price range. You really do not feel like you are vacationing in Vienna. The rooms are very very large for Vienna standards, and clean, but very shabby in decor. Hot water in the morning is catch as catch can. At night right after dinner, there is hot water. You must bring an alarm clock and an iron. There is a hair dryer. In my room, there was a 12" diagonal television, but it needed to be viewed on a sofa that had seen much better days in a sitting room. I never bothered to turn it on. Letters that I mailed from the hotel never arrived at their USA destinations. English is spoken but not by everyone. A European business companion who'd booked both of our rooms said that he'd really not return again either. Parking is not a problem, and so if one needs street parking, it can be found here.

This is a typical 2/3 star hotel. I stayed in a single room which was comfortable but not terribly clean. The carpet was very badly stained and there was what looked like coffee stains all over the 1970's wallpaper. This hotel is in need of redecoration but on a more positive note, the rooms are very spacious. My friend and her 2 daughters stayed in a family room and they had a mini-suite consisting of two bedrooms, hallway and bathroom. My friend's room was also cleaner having a newer carpet and slightly more modern furniture. The staff were very pleasant and helpful. The breakfast was basic, breads, fruits and a choice of 2 cereals. The location of the hotel is ok. The Schonbrunn Palace (well worth a visit) is about a 45 minute walk away and the town of Heitzing is a 20 minute walk away. The centre of Vienna is a 20-25 minute taxi ride away. Overall if you are looking for a reasonably priced hotel in a very expensive city then this is a relatively good choice.